Steering device for bicycles



(No Model.) Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. O. S. LEDDELL.

STEERING DEVICE FOR BIOYGLES.

No. 367,049. Patented July 26, 1887.

lfi'inessea x 2 SheetsSheet 2.

(-No Model.)

0. S. LEDDELL.

STEERING DEVIOE FOR BIGYGLES.

No. 367,049. Patented July 26, 1887. I

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. LEDDELL, OF MENDHAM, NEYVJERSEY.

'STEERINQ DEVICE FOR BlCYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,049, dated July 26, 1887.

Application filed SrptemberSO, 1866. Serial No. 214,931. (No model.)

To all whom it may coil/eerie.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. LEDDELL, of Mendham, in the county of Morris and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steering Devices for Bicycles, of which the following is a specification.

My steering devices are intended for that class of machines which are normally operated with the smaller wheel in advance, and in which the smallerwheel must therefore be turned to effect the steering of the machine.

The object of my invention is to provide a very simple steering device for machines of this class; and the invention consists in novel combinations of parts, which are hereinafter described, and referred to in the claims, andmately upright rock-shafts at opposite sides of the machine, and'the handles at the upper ends of the rock-shafts may be connected, so as to cause them to move simultaneously in reverse directions. The connection between the lower ends of the rock-shafts and the steering-wheel shaft may be formed by rods extending from the cranks on the rock-shafts to laterally-projecting arms at opposite sides of the steering-wheel shaft; or, in lieu of rods, chains or other flexible connections might be employed; and, if desired, a single flexible con nection might be carried around and secured to a wheel or hub upon the steering-wheel shaft and attached at the opposite ends to the cranks of the two rock-shafts.

The above-referred-to features of construction are included in my invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, Fig. 2 a plan, and Fig. 3 a rear view, of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a side view of certain of the parts,which are shown in the previous figures upon a larger scale. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a side View and plan of parts of the machine, showing a modification of the invention. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively an elevation and plan of the two rock-shafts and handies at the upper ends thereof, also including a transverse section of the backbone ofthe machine and a portion of the frame thereof, and in Fig. 7 portions of the length of the rockshaft are broken away to reduce the size of the figure. Fig. 9 is a partly sectional elevation upon a larger scale, showing the upper end portions of the two rock-shafts with portions of their handles. Figs. 10 and 11 are respectivelya plan and side view of parts illustrating a modified form of connection between the two roek-shafthaudles. Figs. 12, 13, and 14 are respectively a rear elevation, a plan, and a side elevation showing another modified form of connection between the two steeringhandles. Fig. 15 is a horizontal section i1lus trating another slight modification of the invention as regards the means employed to connect the steering-handles, and Fig. 16 is a plan or diagram showing a flexible connection as extending between the cranks at the lower ends of the steering-shafts and passing around a wheel or hub upon the steering-wheel shaft.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

I have in the drawings shown only such parts as are necessary to illustrate my invention,and

the remainim )arts necessar to form a comb y plete machine may be of any suitable or ordinary character.

A B designate, respectively, the large driving-wheel and the smaller steering-wheel.

G designates the forked steeringwhcel shaft.

D designates the backbone, curved to conform to the circumference of the wheel A.

E designates the main shaftor axle, on which is supported a lower frame portion, F, at each side of the wheel A.

G designates an upper frameportion, which receives the backbone D through it, and H designates tubular braces which extend from the upper frame portion, G, downward to the lower frame portion, F. v

I designates braces or brace-rods, which extend from the lower frame portion, F, at each side of the machine forward to a collar, 1, which surrounds the steering-wheel shaft 0.

J designates two approximately vertical or upright rock-shafts, arranged one at each side of the machine, but having their lower portions, J, inclined inward relatively to the axes of the main portions of the rock-shafts, so as to form cranks, from which rods J extend forward and are connected with laterally-extending arms 7' P is important, because the cranks then conform to the converging profile of the main wheel A from its center downward, as shown best in Fig. 3, and no unnecessary room is occupied. If the cranks were formed. by lateral'projections from their shafts in the ordinary way, the frame portions would have'to be extended downward to the cranks, or else the cranks would have to be formed upon the shafts J immediately below the present frame portions F, and in the latter case the cranks, if they extended inward from their shafts toward the wheel A, would, by reason of the thickness of thewheel at the center, necessitate the placing of the rock-shafts J farther apart. In lieu of the rods Jflextending between the rock-shafts and the steering-wheel shaft, chains or analogous flexible connections might be substituted, and in lieu of having arms upon the steeringwheel shaft, I may employ a single flexible connection, J attached at the ends to the two cranks J, as shown in Fig. 16, and passed around a wheel or hub, C, on the-steeringwheel shaft, the connection J 'being secured to the wheel or hub O at c, all as shown in Fig. 16. 3

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that by turning the rockshafts J in opposite directions the steering of the machine will be effected, and if a single rock-shaft were employed at one side of the machine only the steering of the machine wouldbe effected by turning this shaft in one or other direction.

At the upper ends of the rock-shafts J are steering-handles or handle-arms J of which two are best represented in Figs. 7 and 8. Obviously, if thesebent handles and the cranks J at the lower ends of the rock-shafts J were formed -integral with the shafts, the latter could not be arranged within the tubular braces H of the machine, as they are shown arranged in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, and I therefore in such case make the handle-arms J 4 separate from the rock-shafts J, and secure themadj ustably thereto. One means of securing them to the rock-shafts is illustrated in Fig. 9. The rock-shafts J, which may consist of tubes, are shown in Fig. 9 as provided at their upper ends with conical screw-threads j, to which are applied conical nutsj and the conicallythreaded portions are split or slotted, in order to form from them elastic jaws, which are clamped upon the handle portions J entering into. them by tightening up the nuts j".

v The two handle-arms or steering-handles J and their rock-shafts J may be connected in many different ways, so as to turn simultaneouslyin opposite directions. I have in Figs. 7, 8, and 9 shown the handle-arms as provided with laterally-extending arms is upon opposite sides, and such arms may be connected upon opposite sides of the rock-shafts J by chains It". (Best shown in Figs. 8 and 9.) In order to provide for taking up all slack motion, one endof each-chain 70 may be swiveled in the arm 7:, projecting from one handle J, as shown at If, and may be secured by a screw-threaded shank or stud, It, in the arm 70, projecting from the other handle, J*. The connections 70 may then both be maintained taut or under tension, so that the slightest turning of one handle J 4 and rock-shaft J will produce an equal but reverse turning movement of the other handle and rock-shaft. I

In some cases it may be desirable not to have the rock-shafts J extend through the tubular braces H, and in such case the rock-shafts may be supported at the upper end in a frame-portion, G, and may be supported near the lower end in bearings K, which may be secured by set-screws d upon the forwardly =extending braces or brace rods I, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6 l I In lieu of employing the system of connections between the handles J which are shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, I may provide upon the upper ends of therock-shaftsJpinions e,which engage with the intermediate pinion, e, pivoted on the upper frame portion, G, and as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. The handles will then move simultaneously and equally in reverse direct-ions. have represented'the two handles J* as comprised in asingle bar, which is secured at the In Figs. 12, 13, and 14. I

IOO

upper end of the shaftf, mounted in abearing,

it, formed upon the upper frame portion, G, and said shaft f is provided at its lower end with a pinion, f, which engages the pinions 0 upon the upper end of the rock-shafts J. The turning movement of the shaftf and pinionf will then produce a movement in reverse directions of the two pinions and the rock-shafts J, upon which they are mounted. I

In lieu of pinions in the arrangementshown in Figs: 12, 13, and 14, I may employ smoothsurfaced wheels or hubs e as shown in Fig.

15, and connect them by a band or flexible steering-wheel shaft, because by said rods any turning movement of one rock-shaft will be tions of a bicycle, of a tubular brace connect;

IIO

. said tubular brace and provided at the lower endwith a crank connected with the steeringwheel shaft, and a handle at the upper end-of said rock-shaft, whereby it may be turned, sub stantially as herein described.

2. The combination, with the steering-wheel shaft and with the upper and lower frame p01" tions of a bicycle, of a tubular brace connecting the upper and lower frame portions,a rockshaft extending through said brace and having below the brace an integral crank connected with the steering-wheel shaft, and a handle-arm detachably connectcd with the up per end of said rock-shaft above the brace, substantially as herein described.

3. The combination, with thesteering-wheel shaft of a bicycle, of an approximately upright rock-shaft extending downward from the upper portion of the machine at the side of the driving-wheel, having its lower portion inclined downward relatively to its axis to form a crank, which is connected with the steering-wheel shaft and the inclination of which conforms approximatelyto the converging profile of the wheel from its center outward to its circnm ference, and a handle at the upper end of the rock-shaft, substantially as herein described.

4. The combination, with the steering-wheel shaft of a bicycle, of approximately upright rock-shafts at opposite sides of the machine, having at the lower ends cranks which are connected with the steering-wheel shaft, and handles at the upper ends of said rock-shafts connected with the rockshafts and with each other, so as to move and cause the turning of the rock-shafts simultaneously in reverse directions, substantially as herein described.

5. The combination, with the steering-wheel shaft of a bicycle, of approximately upright rock-shafts at opposite sides of the machine, provided at the lower ends with cranks connected with the steering-wheel shaft and provided at the upper ends with handle-arms (lirectly surmounting them, and connections be tween the handle-arms and rock-shafts where by the handle-arms with their shafts are caused to move simultaneously in reverse directions, and which are adjustable to take up lost motion between them, substantially as herein described.

CHAS. S. LEDDELL.

\Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNES, EMIL 

